Lorain zoning change could make way for new store buildings, developer says

Bob Caravona, predevelopment project manager for Hawkins Companies, talks about a proposed zoning change for land at the corner of Leavitt Road and Nantucket Drive during a public hearing held by Lorain City Council on March 27, 2018.
Richard Payerchin — The Morning Journal

This panoramic photo shows the land at the corner of Leavitt Road and Nantucket Drive on March 27, 2018. A developer has asked the city for a zoning change that would allow construction of new buildings for retail shops on the land.
Richard Payerchin — The Morning Journal

The parcels, totaling about 4.8 acres, could have 26,000 square feet of new structures with 217 parking spaces, more than the 161 required for the size of the buildings, said Bob Caravona, predevelopment project manager for Hawkins Companies Commercial Developers.

The new structures could include a Verizon franchisee that is excited to be in the Lorain market, Caravona said.

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Lorain Council took no formal action March 26, but will consider the zoning change at a future meeting.

The land sits east of Leavitt Road and south of Nantucket Drive, and it is generally south of the Lighthouse Village shopping center.

Nantucket Drive and Jaeger Road form a crossroads with Leavitt Road, with Nantucket Drive on the east side of Leavitt Road and Jaeger Road to the west.

Caravona spent at least 20 minutes outlining the rules for the zoning classifications.

The land currently is zoned office B-1A business zoning district.

Hawkins Companies is requesting for the land to be changed to B-1 general business district.

The B1-A general office is narrowly focused to office standards and usually has larger lots associated with it, Caravona said.

The B-1A zoning allows business offices, such as medical, dental, financial consulting offices or private childcare.

But it “is very limited and it’s probably what contributes (to) why this land has been vacant for quite a while,” Caravona said.

Hawkins Companies wants to have a mixed use development, so B-1A allows retail use, he said.

The site also has utility easements, or clearances for sanitary sewers and electric lines, that bisect and chop up the site and create spaces for smaller buildings instead of a large office complex, Caravona said.

With landscaping and setbacks, the site has limited buildable areas.

The stores will be laid out to avoid encroaching on the utility easements and to meet the setback requirements, Caravona said.

Landscaping and buffer mounds will be fine-tuned as the project moves through Lorain’s design review process, he said.

The site is a challenging one to develop, Caravona said, but Boise, Idaho-based Hawkins Companies does not shy away from that.

The firm espouses integrity and aims to treat people fairly, he said.

The company is in 23 states with 250 projects, including commercial, retail, apartments and charter schools, Caravona said.

“We’re a conservative company in that we go into communities that we know where the project is solid, and then we tend to stay within those communities and do further development,” he said.

The plan prompted some questions, but no one flatly opposed it.

Jaeger Road resident Denver Casto emphasized the continuing need to address car traffic and stormwater drainage on the city’s west side, especially on the north side of Jaeger Road as new structures are built.

Neighbor Chris Nabakowski asked about landscape buffering for residential neighbors to the east.

Nabakowski also requested any restaurants be a destination new to the area, not something already at the next highway exit.

South Lorain resident Chuck Becker suggested traffic could be managed with better synchronization of stoplights.

In its history, Lorain should not have allowed houses along Leavitt Road south of Meister Road, Becker said.

Instead, the city should have focused on adding businesses to Leavitt Road or Oberlin Avenue as Broadway declined, he said.

City resident John Wargo also commented on the history of the site and the possibility of wetlands filled in there.

Council members Joshua Thornsberry, Mary Springowski, Joe Koziura and Dennis Flores also asked about elements of the project.

Springowski praised the developers for doing something meaningful on a potentially difficult property.

Koziura said people sometimes drive funny, which may lead to crashes, but the new project should be an asset to the city.

“The more traffic, the better, in a lot of areas of the city,” he said.

Ward 4 Councilman Greg Argenti praised the plan and called for other Council members and residents to research the company online.

“They’re quite impressive, actually,” Argenti said. “Their track record is very impressive, large projects, small projects.

“Thank you for showing your interest, and I’d like to see this move along.”